AIDS Digest: Genetic 'Antisense' Drug Enters Human Testing

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1993. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

AIDS Digest: Genetic 'Antisense' Drug Enters Human Testing

Washington Blade (10/22/93) Vol. 24, No. 45, P. 29

Massachusetts-based drug company Hybridon announced the recent kick-off of a clinical trial to test a new drug that interferes with the genetic code of HIV. France's National Agency for the Fight Against AIDS is co-sponsoring the trial of GEM 91, a so-called "antisense" molecule. While other anti -HIV drugs attack the virus enzyme known as reverse transcriptase, the antisense drug attacks the "gag" protein on HIV's messenger, RNA, a copy of the DNA that the AIDS virus uses to replicate. By directly attacking the genetic code of HIV, the antisense molecule may overcome one of the major obstacles in current HIV treatment: the ability of the virus to build resistance to AZT, ddI, and other lab drugs. Lab tests have shown that the antisense molecule can prevent replication in a variety of HIV strains. The study of the 24 patients who are receiving drug injections will determine the safety and tolerability of the drug.

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